


Of Duty And Love

by Lafaiette



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-03-11
Packaged: 2018-03-17 10:53:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3526565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lafaiette/pseuds/Lafaiette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You helped him too.” the spirit’s smile grew. “When he was scared. When our friend Wisdom died. When he felt alone and alienated.”</p>
<p>In which Lavellan meets Solas' friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Duty And Love

Spirits loved her.

He had offered to introduce her to his friends in the Fade and she had gladly accepted, always so eager to know more, to understand the world - and him - better.

So he took her in a quiet dream, in a lush meadow with tall trees and golden light piercing through their leaves. His friends usually didn’t linger in that place, but he had requested their presence there for that special occasion. They could travel easily across the Fade, floating like leaves in a stream, and he knew they could come there easily.

Hand in hand, he looked at Lavellan, excited, happy to share something he cared so much about with her.

"Are you ready?" he asked and she nodded, a timid smile on her lips, shy like a maiden who meets her betrothed’s parents for the first time. He squeezed her hand, his eyes bright, and then called his friends, his accented voice echoing in the Fade.

They waited; Lavellan looked around, a bit anxious, but curious, oh so curious, her big eyes scouting the area just like they did when she travelled across Thedas to close rifts and save people; Solas stood straight and confident, obviously used to waiting like that, to sensing his friends’ presence, sure of their arrival. After a few minutes, he whispered, hot breath ghosting over Lavellan’s long ear: “Here they come.”

Slowly, delicate figures started coming out from the forest that surrounded the couple. Spirits with different forms, faces, colors, behaviors, even the playful wisps Solas mentioned in Haven.

The first who approached them was a peculiar soul continuously shifting look; first it was a woman with short, gray hair and a gentle smile, then an old, dark-skinned man with funny wrinkles around his mouth and warm eyes, then a young qunari with a cheerful look on her face.

“Hello, Solas.” the spirit said with a deep, comforting voice. “It is rare for us to speak in a spot different from our usual one.”

“There is an important reason for that.” Solas smiled, nodding at Lavellan, and the spirit’s eyes moved to her; she could feel the other souls observing her with curiosity, but for now she focused on the one standing before her, intrigued by their ever-changing look and warm expression.

“Ah!” the spirit exclaimed, while the wisps thrilled and sang louder. “Finally!”

With a bow, the spirit pronounced, their voice turning masculine: “I am Kindness.” Lavellan hurried to bow respectfully as well. “I have many faces for gentleness is found in many places.”

"It’s a pleasure to meet you." Lavellan answered, her tone filled with awe, and Kindness - now a ragged, dark-bearded dwarf - continued: "Solas told us much about you. He said you helped many people."

"I…" Lavellan glanced at the other elf, whose ears were getting pinker, his smile bigger. She blushed and stammered, turning back to the spirit. "I-I do what I can. It’s not much, but…"

“You helped him too.” the spirit’s smile grew. “When he was scared. When our friend Wisdom died. When he felt alone and alienated.”

Lavellan’s initial bashfulness was replaced by a somber melancholy upon hearing those words. She still remembered the awkward way Solas had tried to fit into the group; his sorrow when his friend had been tortured and had to be guided into death; his anxiety and worry when the number of Rifts and enemies had increased and demons, Red Templars, and Venatori had appeared all over Thedas, threatening people’s lives. Things were different now - better -, but those memories were clear in her mind and she bowed her head slowly, saying: “I am sorry for your loss. I wish I could have done more to save your friend.”

She felt Solas’ fingers rub gentle circles on the back of her hand, as if to say ‘don’t worry yourself over it anymore’. But Kindness accepted her condolences and swiftly changed look again, becoming a petite dwarf warrior with only one arm.

“Wisdom was one of our oldest companions and they will be missed.” the spirit said lowly, her voice a wistful murmur; then her smile came back, wide. “But you did all you could and it was more than enough. We can only do so much here, offering a particular kind of support that doesn’t always work. The world beyond the Veil and its rules confuse us and we are glad Solas has someone as good as you taking care of him there.”

A moment passed, then Kindness changed again, turning into a chubby human wearing rich robes from Tevinter, and concluded: “I believe there are others wishing to talk to you, now.”

He stepped back and Lavellan, still overwhelmed by his words, barely heard the quick footsteps on the grass approaching.

"Solas was right!"

She looked down, startled; a young girl, her face round and pink, was staring up at her, mouth agape. There was a big, white blossom attached to her dress, similar to an ivory pin.

"He was right!" she repeated and Lavellan blinked and smiled, confused, until the girl laughed enthusiastically and clutched her coat.

"You are bright, warm, a sun in the deep darkness, leading the way and giving him strength." the spirit touched her arm, her clear eyes lost into Lavellan’s, and said: "I am Hope. He had forgotten me, but you showed him I can still exist. You brought me back to him." She looked back at Solas, whose expression had become softer, almost melancholic. "Isn’t that right, my friend?"

"Yes." the elf murmured and a sweet smile came back on his lips when his eyes moved to Lavellan.

She laughed shyly, her cheeks flushed; she thanked the little girl, then looked around to divert the attention from herself and speak with other spirits. She still could feel Hope’s gaze on her and the colorful wisps were playing near her feet and hair, giggling with tiny, whispering voices.

A third spirit came closer, a tall, strong elf with long hair and noble features. There was a calm fire in his auburn eyes, his stance was sure, but his ancient armor was broken, tattered, dusty, his knuckles were bloody, bruised, calloused, and his back slouched every so often, as if a great weight was pushing him down, tiring him.

"Greetings." the spirit said, bowing slightly, and Lavellan did the same, too tense and stiff to do it gracefully; she fidgeted nervously on the spot when the spirit started to stare at her intensely, examining her face.

"Are you a spirit of… Courage? Strength?" she asked, uncertain, wishing to start a conversation without being rude; she felt Solas’ smiling lips pressed against her temple, his arm brush against hers.

"No, vhenan." he answered while the spirit kept studying her, a slight frown etched on his ageless face. "He is an old companion that I met long ago. In fact, he is one of my oldest friends." Solas’ tone turned sad, so much Lavellan couldn’t help but reach for him and take his hand again.

Finally, the spirit spoke a second time.

"I am Duty." he announced. "My nature is something you are accustomed to as well, daughter of Lavellan."

She nodded; even there, in the Fade, the Anchor thrummed in her hand, a perpetual reminder of her mission and responsibilities.

"Solas told us much about you." Duty hesitated for a moment, then his thin lips curled upwards and he suddenly looked younger and less… disheveled. "To be honest, he doesn’t listen to me as much as he used to. He prefer to discuss, now. To reply and find counterarguments to my advices."

"Oh?" Lavellan raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile on her face, albeit partially covered by the shadow of surprise and worry. "And what kind of advices do you give him?"

She felt Solas grip her hand tightly and Duty folded his arms behind his back, looking more tired than before.

"Good ones, I hope." he answered in a low tone and Lavellan asked no more, sensing how delicate that topic was and respecting Solas’ personal matters. He looked tense, almost afraid, but he relaxed visibly when the last spirit approached.

It was a young boy, dressed in simple, white clothes, his golden locks shining under the light coming from beyond the trees. He observed Lavellan with worship and admiration, but the strongest emotion illuminating his eyes was another, one that Lavellan always saw when she was with Solas, when they were spending time together and simply held each other.

"I am Love." the spirit said, his voice young and ancient, soft and clear, gentle and thrilled. "I am so happy to finally meet you, lady Lavellan! You are all Solas speak of."

"Is that so?" Lavellan giggled while Solas cleared his throat, a deep blush spreading over his cheeks and neck.

"Yes. He never stops talking about you." Love’s smile was sweet; he radiated peace, joy, and there were only respect and adoration in his voice when he talked to Lavellan. He looked at her, studying her like Duty had done, but there was no curiosity nor surprise in the gesture; he was merely looking for confirmation, he just wanted to see for himself how special his friend’s lover was.

"You are beautiful." he said in the end and now it was Lavellan’s turn to blush, because she knew he wasn’t just referring to her physical appearance; Solas’ hand slipped from hers and he wrapped his strong arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. She looked up at him and saw him staring at her, with the same awe and adoration Love had on his face.

There was also something else, though - pride, not for himself, but _for her_. He was proud of _her_.

Lavellan gripped his shirt, her other arm around his waist, and she smiled, losing herself into his beautiful, blue, tender eyes.

"His feelings for you are what called me to him, not long ago. I can feel those same sentiments burning and flowing into you." Love continued and his voice was barely enough to pull her from the warm depths of Solas’ gaze. "Thank you. You are precious to him, his beloved. I am glad to see he is the same to you."

The wisps - similar to colorful fireflies - now flied around the lovers, enveloping them in a comforting, peaceful light. Love smiled at them and for a long, blissful moment Lavellan felt the heavy burden pressing on her shoulders and heart disappear, forgotten in that heaven that Solas’ eyes and smile were, erased by the light, nullified by the warmth that the whole Fade seemed to radiate.

Then a wisp ruffled her hair with a thrilling whisper, while another pushed her even closer to Solas, nearly making them fall. The couple laughed, together with Love and Dream, while Kindness and Duty stood a few meters away, watching the scene.

“Solas talks often about you too.” Lavellan said when she could breathe again. That got the spirits’ attention,  who stared at her, attentive and curious; she continued with a teasing grin directed at the other elf: “In fact, one of our first conversations was about the Fade and those who live in it. And he never stops mentioning this place during our travels.”

“Now, now, vhenan.” Solas intervened, his hand now gently placed on the small of her back. “You are exaggerating. I do know other interesting topics of conversations, albeit I admit the Fade is one of my favorites.”

“It’s true.” Lavellan admitted, her eyes glinting with amusement, her big smile creating delicate dimples on her cheeks. “For example, elven culture…”

“… and ancient memories, legends, anecdotes…” Solas continued for her, wrinkles around the corners of his mouth, and she added, elbowing him lightly: “And food!”

The mage blinked, chuckling. “Food?”

“Yes, food! Every time we pass through Val Royeaux, you never miss a chance to comment about the frilly cakes they sell there.” Lavellan winked down at Love and Hope - who were staring at them as if they were the most rewarding and heartwarming sight in the world - and whispered: “He has such a sweet tooth! One day he ate a whole set of Orlesians pastries without even noticing it! He just kept reading his book until I had to take the empty tray away from him.”

“I was merely feeding myself with whatever food I could find on my desk in that moment. My studies tend to make me quite hungry.” Solas replied, his lips almost pursed in a pout, but the way he was looking at Lavellan and holding her close told of his great amusement and fondness.

“Uh-huh.” Lavellan hummed, an eyebrow raised with irony. “Is that why I can already see a bit of tummy under your shirt?”

Finally Solas’ mouth moved and he grinned again, not able to feign offence any longer, his calloused fingers slipping under her shirt and pressing gently into the soft skin of her waist, his other hand wrapped around hers in a gentle grasp. He kissed her forehead, his scent in the Fade reminding her of dirt and old paper.

“Silly.”

Kindness - now a man with a thick Antivan accent - commented with a cheerful laughter: “It seems our friend can let himself go when he is in your company, lady Lavellan. We never saw Solas be so relaxed with anyone except us.”

“I know.” the elven woman sighed. “He is always reserved and introvert, even with our companions.” Her smile came back quickly and she didn’t miss the way Hope and Love looked at her with sincere gratefulness when she added: “That’s slowly changing, though. I promised him I would have helped him make new friends and I intend to keep that promise.”

“That’s very nice of you. He could use that.” Hope replied with a bow of her head.

“As long as they won’t steer him away from his path.” Duty murmured, not low enough to not be heard. Solas tensed again, clenching his jaw, and the mood changed slightly, but noticeably. Even the Fade mirrored the different feel in the air: the trees lost some of their color, their leaves yellow and dry; the grass was not as luscious as before, the air felt heavier, the light was dimmed, as if the source of it beyond the trees was slowly dying.

Love casted an anguished look at the other spirit, the pain in his eyes mixed with anger and disbelief; Hope furrowed her brow while an embarrassed look appeared on Kindness’ face. Lavellan intervened, the urge too strong.

“They… they won’t!” she said, putting all the confidence she possessed in her voice. “Whatever purpose he is trying to fulfill, we will help him. That’s what friends are for.” She smiled, a luminous, huge smile that seemed to illuminate the clearing again. “And I won’t leave Solas alone.”

She felt Solas’ hand grip hers tighter, almost painfully, but her eyes never left the spirit of Duty, whose expression darkened and became more serious than ever.

“Do you really mean that, daughter of Lavellan? You don’t even know what he wants to achieve.”

“Well, it can’t be that bad, can it?” the woman replied. “Whether he wants to find all the ancient memories of Arlathan in the Fade or discover as much as possible about the elven culture, I will be there to help him.”

There was so much innocence and trust in her tone that even Duty seemed taken aback.

Solas drew in a sharp breath, his mouth pressed against Lavellan’s hair, and she laughed softly, trying to lighten up the mood, to make it nice and familiar as it was before.

“I still have a lot to learn, I know. My Elven is not as fluent as his and during our travels I found out that many of the tales my clan taught me were not… as right as I thought they were.” She blushed, remembering when Solas had corrected her when she had shared an ancient legend with Varric and Cole, one night while camping in the Hissing Wastes. He had not been rude nor he had mocked her; he had explained gently and with patience what he had discovered in his journeys into the Beyond, providing enough proofs and facts to confirm his words.

Lavellan had always been grateful for his efforts in teaching her more about their - her? His? The difference wasn’t always clear - people. She loved learning new stuff, especially if it was about the ancient Elven world that the Dalish so desperately tried to remember and celebrate. She could spend hours just listening to his accented, lulling voice as he narrated what he had seen in his dreams or described the glory of days long gone, filling her mind with new knowledge and images she had never imagined before.

She chuckled, shaking her head, Solas’ hold on her still strong, his mouth still pressed on her head.

“He is teaching me, though! And it’s really nice to finally be able to say more than a few broken phrases or traditional sentences.”

“Vhenan…” Solas whispered, his voice broken, choked, so soft it was barely audible. “Don’t belittle yourself so. You are wise and brilliant as few others in the world.”

Lavellan breathed out another laugh, flattered and blushing, albeit worried by the sudden change in his tone. She looked up at him and panicked for a second when she saw how sad his eyes had become; so, wishing to make him happy again and finally change topic, she said with a tender smile, still looking at him, but talking to the spirits: “Isn’t he a charming sweet talker?”

To her great relief, Solas smiled a little and the reassuring giggles of Hope and Love resonated in the meadow; when she turned to look at them, she saw all the spirits - Duty excluded - grinning at her and Solas.

“Thank you for taking care of our friend.” Hope said, now sounding more mature and calm; she stood on her tiptoes to press a hand on Lavellan’s chest and continued with a solemn, eerie tone:

“Let me fill your heart. May all your quests be successful and your path filled with light…” The spirit looked over her shoulder, giving a weird look to Duty, then concluded: “… despite the difficulties and shadows you will find on it.” She stepped back and Love took her place, his small fingers resting gently against the woman’s breasts.

“Your heart will guide you.” he started. “No matter how hard things will seem, no matter how painful they will be, it will show you the right way. Your feelings are real - trust them and they will lead you where you want.”

Kindness (now a tall, young human) came near as well, but he didn’t touch her. Instead he bowed again and pronounced with a clear, loud voice: “Please, keep helping those in need as you’ve done until now. Show them a new way; teach them new solutions to their problems with your presence, your strength, your warmth. Remind them of the beauty of your world, but help them reshape reality with tact and courage when  necessary.”

Lavellan blinked and nodded, not knowing how to react to that kind of attention and those words. She suspected there was an underlying, hidden meaning beneath the main, apparent one, but she had no time to think about it because now it was Duty’s turn to speak and she feared what he had to say. Solas was still holding her, so tightly she could feel his heart beat, hard and quick, against her body, and she slowly relaxed.

Duty observed them both for a while, hands behind his back, shoulders slumped, but eyes burning. Lavellan returned his gaze, reassured by Solas’ presence, but dreading what the spirit was going to say. The others had wished her good luck, while making clear that things were not going to be easy; their words had been a blessing of sort, though, and Lavellan wasn’t so sure Duty was about to do the same.

“Your cause is just and essential for the wellbeing of both our worlds.” he finally started, his voice strong and unfaltering. “I can see how important it is to you and I am relieved. I know you will face bravely whatever obstacle Corypheus and his allies will throw at you.” He frowned, but he looked concentrated rather than angry or annoyed. “I… I wish there was a way for duty and personal feelings to coexist together. Believe me, it would make me genuinely happy. Sometimes it’s not always possible and what lies in our heart, our wishes, must be sacrificed in order to do what we need to do.”

“There is a way!” Love and Hope chimed in together and Duty sighed, as if he had heard that many, many times before.

“Then…” he murmured, settling his eyes not on Lavellan, but on Solas. “I hope you will find it.”

Before the couple could answer, the spirit bowed and stepped back, signaling the end of his speech; Lavellan felt Solas’ lips brush against her ear and his voice sent a hot shiver down her spine.

“Vhenan, I think we should say goodbye now.”

“Already?” she exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise; she wished to talk more with his friends and shake that unpleasant feeling off her shoulders with lighthearted conversations. Still, she didn’t want to bother the spirits nor make Solas uncomfortable. She could see how much Duty’s words had affected him and she preferred to see him relaxed in bed, awake and smiling at her, rather than tense and nervous while she talked with his old companions.

So she smiled at him, then at the spirits, and bowed in return.

“It’s been an honor meeting you all. I hope I will see you again.”

“You can come visit us whenever you like!” Love said and Kindness - now an elf with short hair and deep scars on his face - added: “We will wait for your call. If you ever need guidance, you can ask for our help.”

“Thank you.” Lavellan nodded at them, then looked at Duty, who was keeping himself distanced from the others, hands behind his back. “I… I am grateful for your advices. I will keep them in mind and try to follow them as best as I can.”

“We know you will.” Hope says, then he turned to Solas. “Thank you for giving us the chance of meeting your love. You are a lucky man, my friend.”

“I know.” the elf smiled, but Lavellan noticed the sheer sadness in his eyes and before she could observe it better and understand where it came from or say something more to the spirits, he pressed his mouth against her ear for a second time and murmured:“ _Wake up._ ”

 

\- - -

 

When she reopened her eyes, they were back at Skyhold, in her - _their_ \- bed, sunlight entering from the window through the stained glasses, coloring the floor and sheets with light tones and floral motifs.

Solas was staring at her, one arm wrapped around her waist; Lavellan gave him a sleepy smile and rested her hand upon his naked chest, feeling the steady heartbeat under the skin.

“Your friends are so nice.” she said, slurring a bit. Solas returned the smile, but his gaze was still intense, the sadness he had showed in the Fade still present and clear beyond the blue of his eyes. 

“I am glad you think so. They like you a lot.”

Lavellan cuddled into his arms, enjoying the warmth provided by his slender yet strong body and his hot breath on her hair; she kissed his neck, his collarbone, his shoulder.

“Oh, I love them too! But…” she hesitated, then asked quietly: “Did… did I say something wrong? At some point, the mood changed suddenly and…”

“No, ma vhenan.” Solas kissed her hairline, his voice a soft, lulling whisper. “You have been so kind, as always. Duty is just…” he hesitated, then sighed and concluded: “… Very severe.”

Lavellan couldn’t help but giggle, agreeing, and looked up at him with a wide smile ; Solas’ sadness disappeared, replaced by the strong, overwhelming, warm emotion she had recognized in Love’s eyes.

“I’d like to meet them again.” she admitted. “This time to simply relax and share stories.”

“Soon, emma lath.” Solas promised, kissing the tip of her nose. “There will be many more chances, believe me.”

The light invading the room distracted them; Lavellan frowned at the sun high in the sky visible from the windows and huffed, knowing well what it meant.

“It’s time to get up, I guess. It’s a wonder Josephine or Leliana haven’t sent a servant to wake me up yet.”

Solas quickly pulled her close, pressing his hand on her back and gently trapping her in a firm embrace.

“Let’s stay here a bit longer.” he said, half-pleading, half-demanding. His gaze was intense and overwhelming again and Lavellan blushed when he tangled their legs together under the sheets and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

“We have a lot to do.” Lavellan chuckled, but she didn’t refuse; on the contrary, she nuzzled his neck and relaxed further into his hug, breathing in his scent. Dirt and old paper, even there in the normal world. “There is much that needs to be done today.”

“It can wait.” Solas murmured, giving her another kiss, and Lavellan couldn’t agree more.


End file.
